Improvement in machines for curving rai lroad-rai ls



2 Sheets--ShefJ 1.

IJ. M. DUNCAN & G/JONES.,

Machine for Gurving Railroad-Rails. No. 222,182. Patented Dec. 2 ,18?9

j'yfi,

2 Sheets-'Sheet 2.

J. M. DUNCAN s. G. JONES'.

Machine folOurving Railroad-Rails. No. 222,182.

Patented Dec. 2,1879.

Iwan/0735" gang?" "-7 MFETERS. PHOTOLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

ther end thereof.

'UNITED STAT-as PATENT JAMES M. DUNCAN AND GEORGE JONES, OF OHATTANOOGA,TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENTVIN MACHINES FOR CURVING RAILROAD-RAILS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,182, dated December"2, 1879; application filed July 11, 1879.

To allfwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES M. DUNCAN and Graoacrn` J oNEs, ofvChattanooga,in the county Vot" Hamilton and State of Tennessee, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Ourving `orBending and Transferring Railroad-Rails or other Sections of Iron orSteel Bars; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description ofthe same, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure l is a top-plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section,and Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken through the carriage B.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines usedin the manufac ture of railroadrails or other sections of iron or steelbars, having for its object the production of a machine wherebyrailroad-rails or other sections of iron or steel bars can be.automatically bent or curved, and subsequently transferred to acooling-bed; and to this end the invention consists in the generalconstruction and combination of parts, all as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and specitically pointed out in the claims. j

In the drawings, A represents the coolingbed, composed of a base, a.,and a series of longitudinal bars, a', supported above the base a bystandards d2, so as topermit of a free circulation of air under saidbars. Arranged between the lbars a are a series of longitudinal rails,b, over which the'rollers or wheels b', supporting a movable ortraveling carriage, B, move, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.This carriage B is moved over the cooling-bed through the medium of anendless chain, wire, or rope, or endless chains, wires, or ropes, c,passing over the pulleys c', mounted on the transverse shaft C, which ismounted in suitable bearings at the head of the bed, and pulleys c2,arranged at the opposite end ofthe bed.

The carriage B is provided with a series of transverse friction-rollers,d, by which the rails or other bars are run onto the carriage at ei- Thecarriage is further pro vided with stationary lugs or brackets d d',arranged near the Aends thereof, and a series of intermediate adjustablebrackets, d2, whereby they can be so adjusted as to give the propercurve or bend desired to be given to the rails or other bars.

Mounted in bearings justin rear of the coolin g-bed is a transverseshaft, E, provided near its ends with curving` or bending hooks e e,which extend a short distance over the headI of the cooling-bed. Theshaft E is provided with a lever, el, extending back of said shaft, andengaging with a spring-catch, e?, for holding said curving or bendinghooks in a raised position above the carriage while the rail or otherbar is being run onto or off the carriage.

F F represent two levers pivoted to the rear part ot' the carriage, theinner or meeting ends of said levers being provided with elongated slotsor openin gs j' f, and connected together by a clevis, f and bolt f, allas clearly shown, the levers being also provided at their outer endswithfriction-rollers f3 f3.

The object of the levers F F is to transfer the rail or other bar ott'from the carriage onto the cooling-bed after it has been curved or bentinto the proper shape and the carriage moved to the rear end ofcooling-bed, the carriage being provided on its front side withA aseries of inclined bars, g, over which the rail or other bar slides downonto said cooling-bed.

The levers F F are operated through the mediumot a pulley, g', mountedon a shaft, G, and a cord or chain, g2, connecting said pulley with theclevis f2. This cord or chain is of sufficient len gth to permit thecarriage to travel the entire length ot' the bed without operating thelevers, when, by turning said shaft, the cord or chain will be woundupon the pulley, thus drawing the connecting ends of the levers inward,which throws their outer ends outward, so that the rail or other bar isforced from the carriage onto the inclined bars g, from which itpasses-onto the cooling-bed.

One of the levers, upon the return of the carriage to the head of thecooling-bed, strikes against a stationary stop, 7L, which forces themback into their original position.

The operation of our improved machine is as follows: The carriage beingat the head of the cooling-bed and the brackets adjusted to give thedesired curve or bend to the rail or bar, the rail or bar in its heatedcondition is e :marsa `run onto the carriage in front of said brack-V4ets. The curving or bending hooks are then lowered into position, andupon the carriage being moved forward on the bed said hooks engage withthe rail or bar near its ends and draw it up against the brackets d d2,which gives it the proper curve or bend desired. rlhe hooks are thenraised out ot' engagement with the rail or bar, and the carriagepermitted to continue its movement to the end of the bed. The shaft G isthen turned or rotated by means ofa clutch or other convenientmechanism, winding the chain or rope on the pulley g, thus operating thelevers in the manner before described7 and sliding the rail or bar fromthe carriage onto the cooling-bed, when, by any suitable reversingmechanism, the carriage will be returned to the head ot' the cooling-bedfor the reception of another rail or bar.

We are aware that a movable rail-carriage having projections to impingeupon the rail and force it to partake of the motion of the carriage, andvertically-swinging arms having adjustable stops, whereby, when thecarriage recedes from the saws, it carries the rail against the stops,and thus imparts the propercurvature, is old, and such we do not desireto be understood as claiming as our invention; but,

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, isi 1 In a machine for curving orbending` railroad-rails, or other sections of iron or steel bars, thecombination, with a cooling-bed, of

the pivoted hooks e c and a movable carriage having adjustable bracketsd2 mounted thereon, and mechanism, substantially as described, connectedwith operating mechanism, whereby `the rail or other bar is curved orbent, and subsequently transferred from said carriage to thecooling-bed,.substantially as specified.

2. rlhe combination of the movable carriage B, having the stationarystuds d d and intermediate adj ustable brackets, d2, mounted thereon,and the pivoted shaftv E, arranged in rear of the carriage, and havingprojecting hooks c extending over said carriage, and adapted to belowered so as, in connection with and by means of other mechanism, toengage with and draw the rail or bar `against the studs and brackets onthe carriage as it is moved forward, thus giving the proper curvature tothe rail or bar, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. rlhe combination, with the movable carriage B, of the slotted andpivoted levers F F and mechanism for operating said levers,substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

4. The combination of the movable carriage, the pivoted and slottedlevers F F, mechanism for operating said levers, and the stationary stoplz., substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

JAMES M. DUNCAN.

GEORGE JONES.

Vitnesses L. M. CLARK, E. P. DURAuDo.

